Refrigerator car



Api-il 20, 1943. w. E. BAILLIE REFRIGERATOR CAR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 15, 1941 \v EAEEEWN NNE LEEKEEE EEEERENH Patented Apr. 20, 1943 REFRIGERATOR CAR Wallace E. Baillie, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Standard Railway Devices Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Application December 15, 1941, Serial No. 422,938

12 Claims.

This invention relates to refrigerator cars used to transport perishable commodities at a predetermined temperature. The essential features of a refrigerator car are an insulated body to prevent or retard ingress of heat during warm weather and egress of heat during cold weather, a cooling means to be used during warm weather and sometimes a heating means to be used during cold weather.

This invention applies particularl to cars in which the cooling means, preferably containers for water ice, eutectic ice, brine or dry ice, are disposed immediately below the roof of the car. The lading is supported in spaced relation to the floor by a foraminous rack. Flues, preferably associated with the side walls of the car, communicate between the cooling means and the space under the floor rack to provide a path for the circulation of air. The path is from the cooling means downwardly through the aforementioned fiues, through the space under the floor rack, upwardly through the lading compartment thereby cooling the lading, and finally to the cooling means from where the cycle is repeated.

An object of the invention is to provide containers for the refrigerant, which containers have a minimum weight and involve a minimum construction cost. Refrigerator cars of the instant type are commonly provided with eight o ten containers which tends to multiply cost and weight of the car unless the cost and weight of the'individual containers are kept at a minimum. Furthermore, each container is sometimes loaded with a thousand pounds or more of ice so that it is evident that strength cannot be sacrificed to conserve weight.

Another object, and means of achieving the first mentioned object, is to provide members which serve the double purpose of forming parts of the container walls and at the same time forming structural members for supporting the container. It is evident that such "doubling-up saves a considerable amount of weight when the number of containers per car is taken into consideration.

A further object is to provide refrigerant containers having foraminous lower portions and preferably foraminous upper portions to facilitate the contact of the circulating air with th refrigerant. Tests have shown that there is a tendency to provide somewhat lower temperatures within the car when the air comes into direct contact with the ice than when the air of container.

contacts the exterior of a container made cold by the refrigerant contained therein.

Another object is to dispose the above mentioned double-purpose members adjacent the upper parts of the containers and to suspend the lower foraminous portion therefrom. Such an arrangement imparts greater stability to the container and at the same time provides a foraminous lower portion of relatively greater extent so that a maximum amount of air may come into actual contact with the refrigerant.

A further object is to support such lower portion by a plurality of U members, the upper ends of which are attached to the container supporting members in such a way as to materially contribute to the strength of such members. The specific construction disclosed embodies channel-shaped container supporting members with the upwardly projecting legs of the U members attached thereto in such a way as to prevent spreading or collapsing of the channel flanges.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the-following detailed description by referring to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a transverse section of a railway car embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of one of the re frigerant containers shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a container shown in Fig. 1, the end wall at the left-hand end being omitted for clarification.

Fig. 4 is a section on line 44 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a section through a modified form The general parts of the refrigerator car shown are insulated roof A; side walls B; floor D; refrigerant containers E; hatches F for loading refrigerant into the containers E; side wall flues G; foraminous floor rack H and space J between the rack H and the floor D. The spaced apart refrigerant containers E are positioned directly below the roof A and respectively adjacent the side walls B. Drip pans K are provided below the containers E and partitions L are disposed in upstanding positions at the edges of the drip pans K. The drip pans K and the partitions L cooperate with the roof A and the upper parts of the side walls B to form enclosures M around the containers E, air inlet openings N to the enclosures M being provided by spacing the partitions L from the roof A. Air discharge openings P lead from the enclosures M to the flues G at a lower elevation than the air inlet openings N.

The partitions L are spaced apart to form a duct Q which communicates between the lading compartment R and openings N.

Air circulation is as follows: Air in the lading compartment R is warmed by contact with the lading and rises through the duct Q to enter the enclosing structures M through the air inlet openings N. The air is then cooled by contact with the cold refrigerant containers E and falls by reason of its lower temperature and therefore greater density through the discharge openings P and flues G to the space J whence it rises through the rack H to the lading compartment R. The above described cycle is thereafter continuously repeated.

Spaced apart carlines l0, which in the form shown are I-beams, extend transversely of the car and are secured at their opposite ends to the side walls B of the car by means of the brackets H. Brackets l3 are carried by the carlines l and extend laterally therefrom on opposite sides thereof to form supporting means for the refrigerant containers as Will be hereinafter described.

In the modification shown in Figs. 1 to 4, the container E embodies a pair of spaced apart metallic plates formed to provide outwardly facing channels I? which extend between and are secured to the brackets 13. The channels l1 comprise webs is disposed in substantially vertical planes, laterally directed flanges 20 and upwardly (2|) and'downwardly (23) directed refianges. The framework of the container is formed in part by a plurality of U-shape members 24 spaced apart longitudinally of the car and having their upstanding legs 26 secured to both reflanges 2|, 23 of the respective channels H. The channels I! function to confine the refrigerant and at the same time form the principal structural members of the container. Foraminous material 21, such as expanded metal, wire netting or perforated metallic plate, rests upon the U-shape member 24 to form the bottom 29 of the container, the marginal portions 30 of the foraminous material being upturned to form the lower parts of the container side walls. The upturned portions 30 are secured at their upper edges to the lower refianges 23 of the channels ll. It is understood that a change in the container whereby the channels ll are replaced by any other convenient form of structural member does not depart from my invention.

The end walls 35 of the container are comprised of metallic plates formed with inwardly projecting, horizontally extending channels or corrugations 36 secured at their opposite ends to the channels I1, thereby providing a substantial connection between opposite side walls of the container. The metallic plates 35 which form the end walls are also secured to the U-shape members 38 which are disposed adjacent the ends of the container. It is pointed out that the end walls are disposed inwardly of the ends of the channels I! so as to leave the ends of the channels free for attachment to the brackets 13. The sides of the container are braced by the tie members 33 which extend between and are secured'to the channels I! adjacent the roof of the car.

In the modification shown in Fig. 5, the U- sh'ape members 45 are welded at the upper extremities of their upstanding legs 46 to the lower flanges 41 of the channel-shaped plates 43. The top of the container is formed of formainous material 49 reinforcedby angle members and supported by the upper flanges 52 of the channel shaped plates 48.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the preferred form of the invention, though it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, as it is obvious that various modifications thereof, within the scope of the claims, will occur to personsskilled in the art.

I claim:

A refrigerant container for a refrigerator car having spaced apart walls and spaced apart carlines extending between and secured to said walls, opposite walls of said container formed with stiffeners which extend beyond the end walls of said container, means to secure said stiffeners to said carlines, a plurality of spaced apart U shape members, a bottom supported by said members and means to secure the upstanding legs of said members to said stifieners.

2. A refrigerant container for a refrigerator car having spaced apart walls and spaced apart carlines extending between and secured to said. walls, opposite walls of said container formed with stiffeners which extend beyond the end walls of said container, said end Walls formed with stiffener-s which extend between and are secured to the first mentioned stiffeners, means to secure said first mentioned stiffeners to said carlines, a plurality of spaced apart U shape members, a

bottom supported by said members and means to secure the upstanding legs of said members to said first mentioned stiifeners.

3. A refrigerant container for a refrigerator car having spaced apart walls and spaced apart carlines extending between and secured to said walls, opposite walls of said container comprised at least in part of metallic plate formedwith'stiffeners which extend beyond the end walls of said container, means to secure said stiffeners to said carlines, a plurality of spaced apart U shape members, means to secure the upstanding legs of said members to said stiffeners and a foraminous bottom supported by said members.

4. A refrigerant container for a refrigerator car having spaced apart walls and spaced apart carlines extending between and secured to said walls, said refrigerant container being positioned between said carlines and having its side and end walls dis-posed transversely tosaid carlines and car walls respectively, said side walls comprised, at least in part, of channels disposed withtheir webs vertical, said channels extending beyond said end walls, means to secure said channels to said carlines, a plurality of spaced apart U shape members, a bottom supported by said members and means to secure the upstanding legs of said members to both flanges of said channels.

5. A refrigerant container for use in a refrigerator car, the side walls of said container formed 1 with longitudinally extending stiffeners extending beyond the ends of said container and adapted for attachment to suitable container.

supporting means associated with said car, a plurality of spaced apart U shape members having their upstanding legs secured to said stif said channels adapted for attachment at spaced apart locations to suitable container supporting means associated with said car, a plurality of spaced apart U shape members means to secure the upstanding legs of said U shape members to both flanges of said channels and a bottom for said container supported by said members.

7. A refrigerant container for use in a refrigerator car, the side walls of said container comprised, at least in part, of longitudinally extending channels disposed With their webs vertical and flanges projecting laterally of the container, the ends of said channels extending beyond the ends of said container and adapted for attachment to suitable container supporting means associated with said car, a plurality of spaced apart U shape members, means to secure the upstanding legs of said U shape members to both flanges of said channels and a bottom for said container supported by said members.

8. A refrigerant container for use in a refrigerator car, opposite walls of said container comprised, at least in part, of longitudinally extending channels disposed with their webs vertical and flanges projecting laterally of the container, said flanges formed with vertically extending reflanges, said channels adapted for attachment at spaced apart locations to suitable container supporting means associated with said car, a plurality of spaced apart U shape members having their upstanding legs secured to both refianges of said channels and a bottom for said container secured to said channels and supported by said members.

9. A refrigerant container for use in a refrigerator car, opposite walls of said container comprised, at least in part, of metallic plates formed with longitudinally extending stiffeners, said stiffeners adapted for attachment at spaced apart locations to suitable container supporting means associated with said car, a plurality of spaced apart U shape members having their upstanding legs secured to said stiffeners and a foraminous bottom for said container supported by said members.

10. A refrigerant container for use in a refrigerator car, the side walls of said container comprised, at least in part, of longitudinally extending channels disposed with their webs vertical and flanges projecting laterally of the container, the ends of said channels extending beyond the ends of said container and adapted for attachment to suitable container supporting means associated with said car, reinforcing means extending between and secured to said flanges and a bottom for said container supported, at least in part, by said means.

11. A refrigerant container for use in a refrigerator car, the side walls of said container provided "with longitudinally extending stifieners projecting inwardly from the planes of the sides of the container and extending beyond the ends of said container and adapted for attachment to suitable container supporting means associated with said car, a plurality of spaced apart U shape members having their upstanding legs secured to said stiffeners, and a bottom for said container supported by said members.

12. A structure as defined in claim 11 including a drip pan spaced below the container bottom to form an air flue therebetween, and means to direct a flow of air through said flue, whereby the U shape members increase the heat transfer between a refrigerant in the container and the air in the flue.

WALLACE E. BAILLIE. 

